Production Planning & Purchasing Assistant

Rubicon Recruitment Agency; Salisbury; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Rubicon Recruitment Agency is seeking a Production Planning Analyst & Purchasing Assistant to turn customer schedules into clear, actionable plans on the shop floor. You will release works orders that align with demand and liaise with customers and suppliers to track order status.

The role offers exposure to both purchasing and logistics, with established processes (MRP, EDI) and strong support from the Purchasing Manager. A genuine pathway to develop production planning expertise is provided.

Qualifications

• Experience in a manufacturing/production planning environment.
• Familiar with MRP systems and EDI order processing.
• Strong attention to detail and methodical scheduling.
• Confident communicator liaising with customers and suppliers.
• Purchasing or procurement support experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Receive, process and maintain customer and supplier schedules and orders.
• Generate and release works orders aligned to customer demand.
• Liaise with customers and suppliers on order status via email, phone and online portals.
• Monitor and report overdue purchase orders.
• Maintain accurate filing and logistics query systems.
• Support the Purchasing Manager with day-to-day purchase order expediting.

Skills

Manufacturing experience

Production planning

Attention to detail

Strong communicator

Purchasing support

Tools

MRP systems

EDI

Job description

You'll be the one who turns a customer schedule into a clear plan the shop floor can actually work to.
Every works order you release keeps production moving exactly when it needs to.
This is a role where accuracy and structure genuinely matter, not just get mentioned in the job description.

As a Production Planning & Purchasing Assistant, you will benefit from:

• Exposure across both purchasing and logistics, broadening your commercial understanding
• Structured processes and established systems (MRP, EDI) to work within
• Ongoing support from the Purchasing Manager and wider operations team
• Genuine opportunity to build specialist expertise in production planning

As a Production Planning & Purchasing Assistant, your responsibilities will include:

• Receiving, processing and maintaining customer and supplier schedules and orders
• Generating and releasing works orders aligned to customer demand
• Liaising with customers and suppliers on order status via email, phone and online portals
• Monitoring and reporting overdue purchase orders
• Maintaining accurate filing and logistics query systems
• Supporting the Purchasing Manager with day to day purchase order expediting

As a Production Planning & Purchasing Assistant, your experience will include:

• Previous experience in a manufacturing or production planning environment
• Familiarity with MRP systems and EDI order processing
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to managing schedules
• Confident communicator, comfortable liaising with customers and suppliers
• Experience in a purchasing or procurement support function is advantageous

If you're looking for a role where precision and process genuinely drive results, this Production Planning Analyst & Purchasing Assistant position offers a clear path to build that expertise.

While Rubicon uses AI to help speed up processes across the business, every application is reviewed by a human to ensure the right decision is made.